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Saturday, June 16, 2007

Bishop Elphinstone

William Elphinstone (1431 - October 25, 1514), Scottish statesman, Bishop of Aberdeen and founder of the University of Aberdeen.

The papal bull for the University was obtained in 1494, and the royal charter which made Aberdeen the seat of a university is dated 1498. A small endowment was provided by the king, and the university, modelled on that of Paris and intended principally as a school of law.

Hector Boece, (or Hector Boyce) (1465-1536) was the first rector.

In 1497, the University established the first chair of medicine in the English-speaking world.